1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid drum type fuel cell-metal recovery apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A fuel cell refers to a device that converts chemical energy into electrochemical energy, and can be continuously operated by continuously receiving a gaseous or liquid fuel, such as hydrogen and ethanol, unlike an energy storage device such as a battery.
The fuel cell has been developed in various forms and structures, such as proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFCs), molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs), solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), direct carbon fuel cells (DCFCs), and the like.
Among these fuel cells, the direct carbon/coal fuel cell, which can be referred to as a next generation fuel cell, is capable of obtaining energy through direct electrochemical oxidation of solid carbon fuel, biomass or the like without gasification or use of a reformer. The direct carbon fuel cell has a high thermodynamic energy conversion rate (ηth=ΔG/ΔH=over 100%) incomparable with those of power generation systems or any other energy systems, and does not use external reformation or water unlike other types of fuel cells. In addition, the direct carbon fuel cell scarcely generates by-products, such as NOξ and SOξ, and emits only CO2 gas, which has high purity and is easily collected and reused.
Although carbon or coal, which is used as a fuel, is solid and thus has higher energy density than gaseous materials such as hydrogen, there is a drawback of difficult reaction between solid carbon particles and a solid fuel electrode(anode) catalyst at a three-phase boundary(TPB) at which solid carbon contacts a porous catalyst. In particular, coal is a heterogeneous conglomerate having an extremely complicated physicochemical properties, and is composed of about 10% to about 45% of water, about 45% of volatile materials and about 10% of minerals(ashes).
Thus, when coal is used as a fuel in practice, the fuel electrode catalyst of the direct carbon fuel cell is physically/chemically poisoned by various impurity ashes contained in coal, thereby causing a serious problem with inhibition of continuous electrochemical reaction.
Moreover, in typical metal recovery devices or pretreatment of coal fuels, metal or ashes is extracted or recovered using heat electric energy through a separate external system.
Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus that has improved durability against ashes or minerals, which are contained in coal and cause various problems in operation of the direct carbon fuel cell, and can recover reusable metal therefrom. This system can be operated as a highly complementary technology.